Last week you might have noticed a pick-up in news articles and broadcasts forecasting a hot, dry summer, and high potential for fire in some areas of the state. That news has come from the seasonal summer outlook distributed on Thursday (28 November) by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC), the national council for fire and emergency services in Australia and New Zealand.
The Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Summer gives a picture of the likelihood of fire over the summer months, at both a state and national level. This year's outlook for Victoria predicts higher potential for fire for most of western Victoria, as well as southwest Gippsland, including Mornington Peninsula, greater Melbourne and north-east Victoria.
The potential has been assessed this way because of the dry conditions in those areas, the availability of vegetation (e.g. grass, leaves, bark, shrubs and fallen branches) to 'fuel' fires, high temperatures and the continuing lack of rainfall to bring moisture to the landscape.
The fire potential elsewhere in Victoria has been assessed as 'normal', but hot, dry and windy weather can still pose a risk in areas dominated by forests, woodlands, or dense, low shrubs.
'Normal' is no reason to be complacent, but you should know that Victoria is prepared and that our land and fire agencies have worked all year to reduce our bushfire risk.
